1 89 



bondage of affection for their mistress. At the same 

 time Mrs. Brightwen has none of the foolish and sen- 

 timental prejndice against the confinement of wild 

 creatures, even under the best of conditions, which 

 is paraded by some writers on wild nature, notably by 

 Mr. W. H. Hudson. Apropos of "Tame Voles," she 

 remarks, "seeing that we cannot be all day out-of- 

 doors making observations about these and other sub- 

 jects of stud\% there seems some use in keeping 

 creatures in happy captivity, because we can thus 

 become ultimately acquainted with them, and learn 

 many facts about their life and habits, which would 

 otherwise be difficult or impossible to observe." But 

 there is a heavy responsibility upon us to see that the 

 captivity is happ}'. 



The proportion of space in this little volume 

 actually devoted to birds is not great. We read about 

 "Merops" the Rook, " Bobbie" the Barn Owl, a Jack- 

 daw, and .some Ortolans, but the most interesting 

 chapter is that al)out tlie Syrian Bulbul (^Pycnonotns 

 xanthopygius). The reviewer has never kept the 

 species, but has had the nearly allied and wholly 

 delightful P. leiicoHs, and can therefore echo Mrs. 

 Brightwen's conclusion that " the habits of the bird 

 are so charming, and its ways so playful and full of 

 character, that it .seems to combine almost all the 

 qualities one can desire in a feathered pet, and one 

 cannot but recommend it to students of domestic 

 bird life." 



It is strange that the author should " never before 

 have heard of a bulbul kept in captivity in this 

 country" ! 



